33 of the UK's best adventure farm parks for kids
Kids and animals – it's the perfect mix, right? And these fabulous adventure farms offer so much more than just a chance to feed some goats.
As well as the lambs, rabbits, chickens and more, you'll find adventure playgrounds, tractor rides, indoor play spaces and more.
Sometimes even a rogue dinosaur or two! So pop on your wellies, pack up a picnic and head to an adventure farm park this weekend.
1. Cotswold Farm Park, Gloucestershire
If you're looking for a fun and educational day out, Cotswold Farm Park in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, is the place to be. Your little ones can hold baby chicks and rabbits, bottle feed the lambs and see seasonal demonstrations like milking and shearing. There's also an educational maze and great play areas.
Where: Cotswold Farm Park, Guiting Power, Cheltenham GL54 5FL
2. Fishers Farm Park, West Sussex
There's A LOT going on at Fishers Farm Park in West Sussex: as well as the beautiful animals, there's an amazing indoor play area, with a sensory room perfect for the youngest visitors; there are outdoor adventures like the high ropes course, a big splash zone for sunny days; a mini golf course, tractor and trailer rides, and even a pirate ship, a castle and an enchanted woodland! It’s definitely one of the best farms for kids of all ages.
Where: Fishers Farm Park, Newpound Lane, Wisborough Green RH14 0EG
3. Farmer Palmer's Farm Park, West Sussex
If you’re looking for interactive farms for families, look no further than Farmer Palmer’s Farm in West Sussex! Here you can meet sheep, donkeys, goats, ponies, pigs, and other traditional farm animals, together with popular pet animals like guinea pigs and rabbits. After watching pig racing, and taking a tractor-trailer ride, kids can burn off steam in the amazing indoor and outdoor play zones. A fab sand-and-water-play area means you might want to bring a change of clothes! Look out for the dinosaurs, too, for a really magical day out.
Where: Farmer Palmer's Farm Park, Wareham Road, Organford, Poole, BH16 6EU
4. Godstone Farm, Surrey
There are more than 500 creatures – large and small – waiting to meet you at Godstone Farm in Surrey. As well as pigs, sheep, goats and cows, you can meet llamas, ponies and donkeys, as well as rabbits, chinchillas, ferrets and more. In addition, Godstone has a huge outdoor playground and a brilliant indoor playbarn, meaning plenty of places to play whatever the weather. Look out for the The World of Dinosaur Roar! Discovery Trail at Godstone: life-sized dinosaur sculptures and a chance to learn a lot about these amazing prehistoric beasts ...
Where: Godstone Farm, Farm Limited, Tilburstow Hill Road, Godstone RH9 8LX
5. Church Farm, Norfolk
Church Farm in Stow Bardolph, Norfolk really has something for everyone. Head over in spring time for the famous lambing season where you can bottle feed the little lambs and maybe even see a newborn in the sheep maternity ward or in the nursery. To see the whole farm, jump on the tractor tour, which will show you around. There are plenty of play areas with trampolines and covered sand pits to keep little ones busy all day.
Where: Church Farm Stow Bardolph, Lynn Road, Norfolk PE34 3HT
6. Jimmy's Farm and Wildlife Park, Suffolk
With plenty of activities for the whole family, Jimmy's Farm in Ipswich, Suffolk is one of the best farms for kids looking for a wide variety of adventures. You can meet all the farm's animals on the Nature Trail or take a walk through the Butterfly House which is open from Easter until October. After seeing the animals, try your hand at one of the various other activities on offer, like pond-dipping or den building.
Where: Jimmy's Farm and Wildlife Park, Pannington Hall Lane, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP9 2AR
7. Tweddle Children's Animal Farm, County Durham
Tweddle Farm in Colliery, County Durham is an animal farm with a difference. You can visit the farm animals like sheep, cows and goats then head over to see the camels and monkeys, meerkats and otters. The farm also has indoor and outdoor play areas, perfect for all types of weather. Look out for their seasonal events throughout the year.
Where: Tweddle Children's Animal Farm, Filipoke Lane, Blackhall Colliery, Hartlepool TS27 4BT
8. Lancaster Park & Animal Farm, Oldham
From Shetland ponies to Sussex chickens, there are over 50 species of animals to see at Lancaster Park & Animal Farm. Kids will also love the play area, digger corner, nature walks, petting corner and caterpillar ride. There's event the chance to bath the resident tortoise!
Where: Lancaster Park & Animal Farm, Middleton Road West, Chadderton, Oldham OL1 2TG
9. Walby Farm Park, Carlisle
Along with the chance to meet all the farm animals, Walby Farm Park in Carlisle, Cumbria, offers an exciting day of playing and having fun. The farm includes Cumbria’s largest indoor play area, perfect for rainy days. There are also great outdoor activities including JCB diggers, swings, trampolines, Go-karts and an educational nature trail.
Where: Walby Farm Park, Walby, Crosby-on-Eden, Carlisle CA6 4QL
10. The Hop Farm Family Park, Kent
The Hop Farm Family Park in Kent is a pretty special farm, featuring the world's largest collection of Victorian oast houses. Among the animals waiting to meet you are mini-cows, horses, ponies, donkeys, llamas, goats, guinea pigs, rabbits, alpacas, birds and more. There's even a reptile house. Outside, you can explore the jumping pillows and an amazing adventure playground; indoors, there's a soft play, a magical castle, and a gingerbread hut.
Where: The Hop Farm Family Park, Maidstone Road, Paddock Wood, Kent TN12 6PY
11. Finkley Down Farm, Hampshire
Finkley Down Farm, Hampshire is a brilliant farm park with a massive indoor play barn with different areas for different age ranges. There's lots of chances for fun outdoors as well, including a fantastic adventure playground and the Little Farmers Driving School. Throughout the day there are animal handling and feeding activities for kids to get involved in. Don't miss the Meerkat Mansion!
Where: Finkley Down Farm Park, North Way, Andover SP11 6NF
12. Manor Farm Park and Woodlands, Leicestershire
There are 25 acres of park and woodlands to explore at Manor Farm Park and Woodlands, making for a great day out in the countryside in one of the more sprawling and expansive farms for kids around. There's an Animal Chat Room, with rabbits, guinea pigs, lizards, snakes and parrots; a Duck Garden, where you'll see ducks, geese and chickens; Hoots Hollows, home to more than 30 owls from around the world; and animal paddocks where you can meet reindeer Jupiter and Mercury, deer called Rudi, Bambi and Bindi, as well as llamas, alpacas, ponies, donkeys, wallabies, turkeys, rhea and peafowl.
Where: Manor Farm Park & Woodlands, Castle Hill, East Leake, Near Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE12 6LU
13. Longdown Farm, Hampshire
A great day out for families who love animals and farms for kids. Longdown Farm in Southampton, Hampshire has plenty of animals to meet and feed, from baby lambs to rabbits and ducks. There is also the chance for 8- to 14-year-olds to become farmers for the day, helping the team run the farm, including tasks like cleaning out the pig sties, grooming ponies or mixing goat feed.
Where: Longdown Activity Farm, Deerleap Lane, Ashurst, Southampton SO40 7EH
14. Odds Farm Park, Buckinghamshire
Odds Farm Park in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire offers a fun-filled, family day out. Meet the farmers and get extra close to the animals in the hands-on area, where you can stroke bunnies and hand feed goats and lambs. The farm also has daily activities and demonstrations that are both fun and educational.
Where: Odds Farm Park, Wooburn Common, Wooburn Green, High Wycombe HP10 0LX
15. Hatton Adventure World, Warwick
If you're looking for farms for kids that are perfect for a family day out, Hatton Adventure World in Warwick has it all. From farm animals to children's shows and falconry displays, your little ones will have plenty to do for the day. For your older children, there's Outdoor Laser Combat and a shopping village for the adults. The park holds loads of seasonal events too, so keep an eye out for these.
Where: Hatton Adventure World, Dark Lane, Hatton, Warwick CV35 8XA
16. Piglet's Adventure Farm Park, North Yorkshire
Get close to lots of farmyard friends at Piglet's Adventure Farm Park in York. You can stroke bunnies, guinea pigs and baby chicks, brush the resident Kune Kune pigs and even milk a cow. But the adventures don't stop there, as Piglets offers bouncing pillows, crazy golf, go karts, sandpits, and a massive indoor play barn. Or head off on one of the trails around the farm for an outdoor adventure in the glorious Yorkshire countryside.
Where: Piglet's Adventure Farm Park, Towthorpe Grange, Towthorpe Moor Lane, Towthorpe, York YO32 9ST
17. Cannon Hall Farm, South Yorkshire
Cannon Hall Farm in Barnsley, South Yorkshire has lots of animals, including loads of baby animals to hold and feed. There's sheep and ferret racing at the weekends and school holidays for you to place a bet on. Head over to the massive play area afterwards for an afternoon play, before going home.
Where: Cannon Hall Farm, Bark House Lane, Cawthorne, Barnsley S75 4AT
18. Mead Open Farm, Bedfordshire
You can meet a whole host of friendly creatures at Mead Open Farm near Leighton Buzzard. There's the chance to feed goats and sheep, groom ponies or make a new fluffy friend at the Bunny Hop. You can usually spot baby animals during your visit, with arrivals throughout the year, from baby alpacas and calves to pygmy goats and piglets. Don't miss the huge indoor play area, the jumping pillows, or the Topsy Turvey Towers adventure playground.
Where: Mead Open Farm, Stanbridge Road, Leighton Buzzard LU7 9JH
19. Fairytale Farm, Oxfordshire
Mixing classic fairy tales, animals and adventure play, children will love Fairytale Farm in Oxfordshire. Fairytale Farm is the UK's first visitor attraction that is open to all, but where children with disabilities come first in the design and layout. Will you explore Huff and Puff for adventure play; the Enchanted Walk sensory experience; meet animals with Alfie and Friends; explore Jack’s Yard, for a fairytale experience; or look out for fairies in the Fairy Dell? Either way, Fairytale Farm is one of the best farms for kids who have special accessibility needs.
Where: Fairytale Farm, Southcombe, Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, OX7 5QH
20. Willows Activity Farm, St Albans
With more than 300 farm animals, including horses, goats, rabbits and sheep you can get up close to and help feed in the indoor farmyard, Willows Activity Farm in St Albans is also a whole day out. With shows and attractions for all ages, you'll also be able to meet Peter Rabbit and Friends, ride on Tristan the Runaway Tractor, our indoor Farmyard and so much more.
Where: Willows Activity Farm, Coursers Road, St Albans AL4 0PF
21. Occombe Farm, Devon
Occombe is the perfect mix of farm attraction with indoor play spaces, an animal encounters barn and animal paddocks trail. Don't miss the indoor playbarn with cliff faces to scramble up, a giant shell to climb inside, slides to soar down, a shipwreck to clamber over and a woodland with musical trees. Outside there's a haystack maze, water play and even more fun to be had around the paddocks. Plus there's a farm shop and a farm cafe to refuel after all those adventures!
Where: Occombe Farm, Preston Down Road, Paignton TQ3 1RN
22. Pennywell Farm, Devon
At Pennywell Farm in Devon, kids can cuddle pigs, collect eggs, bottle feed lambs and goat kids and even milk goats! There's tons to do but if your kids love animals they'll love meeting miniature pigs, heavy horses, ponies, donkeys and all kinds of poultry.
Where: Pennywell Farm, Lower Dean, Buckfastleigh TQ11 0LT
23. DairyLand Farm World, Cornwall
From patting pets to pony rides, animal fans will love DairyLand Farm World. The Pat a Pet section is great for getting up close to some of the farm's animals. Or head to the Milking Parlour to see how the cows are milked.
Where: DairyLand Farm World, Tresillian Barton, Newquay TR8 5AA
24. Avon Valley Adventure & Wildlife Park, Bristol
There's more than 90 acres of fun at the Avon Valley Adventure & Wildlife Park in Bristol. Look out for meerkats, reindeer, alpacas, chickens, llamas, goats donkeys, rabbits and more. You might even spot a few dinosaurs ... There's also two adventure playgrounds, jumping pillows, go karts, mini golf and a miniature railway to keep everyone in the whole family entertained.
Where: Avon Valley Adventure & Wildlife Park, Pixash Lane, Bath Road, Keynsham, Bristol BS31 1TP
25. National Forest Adventure Farm, Staffordshire
There's fun to be had whatever the weather at the National Forest Adventure Farm. You can meet and feed the animals, explore the outdoor Funfield and have fun in the huge indoor play area too. Animal lovers will be thrilled to meet the miniature ponies, pygmy goats, guinea pigs and the cute chinchillas. Look out for the pedal JCBs in the JCB Big Dig Zone, where you can excavate the sand pit and climb the traversing wall.
Where: National Forest Adventure Farm, Tatenhill, Burton Upon Trent, Staffordshire DE13 9SJ
26. Puxton Park, Somerset
Puxton Park in Somerset has its own animal encounter area, indoor animal discovery barn and working farm allowing children to interact with a variety of different animals. Whether you love meerkats or cows, cuddly rabbits or Amazon parrots, the Puxton Animal Zone has plenty of opportunities for children to interact with the animals. There's also a miniature railway, indoor softplay and farm shop to enjoy.
Where: Puxton Park, Cowslip Lane, Hewish, Banwell, Weston-super-Mare BS24 6AH
27. Cantref Adventure Farm, South Wales
Pet handling, bottle feeding, pig racing are all on offer at Cantref Adventure Farm in the Brecon Beacons, South Wales. The Pet Barn has a wide variety of pets and small animals to see, often including lots of cute fluffy baby animals. You'll also find rabbits, chinchillas, ferrets, rats, gerbils and turtles.
Where: Cantref Adventure Farm, Upper Cantref Farm, Cantref, Brecon LD3 8LR
28. Folly Farm Adventure Park and Zoo, Pembrokeshire
At Folly Farm in Kilgetty, Pembrokeshire, you can see all the farmyard animals and a good range of exotic zoo animals, too. Budding farmers can enjoy the Jolly Barn area with its combine harvester and tractor, complete with slide and tubes. The farm is also home to Europe’s largest vintage funfair. It's under cover, so a fab rainy-day option.
Where: Folly Farm Adventure Park and Zoo, Begelly, Kilgetty SA68 0XA
29. Heads of Ayr Farm Park, Ayr
From meeting the animals to playing and doing a variety of different activities, Heads of Ayr Farm Park in Alloway by Ayr is one of those farms for kids with something for everyone. Perfect for wet days, there’s a play barn with coffee shop, slides and soft play. On dry days, head outside for quad biking for all ages, bumper boats, giant sand pit and trampolines.
Where: Heads of Ayr Farm Park, Dunure Road, Alloway by Ayr, Ayr KA7 4LD
30. Briarlands Farm, Stirling
There is loads to do at Briarlands to keep your little ones entertained. Choose from jumping pillows, football golf, tractor and trailer rides, as well as petting guinea pigs, feeding goats and more. In the summer, you can try some strawberry picking too – yum!
Where: Briarlands Farm, Blair Drummond, Stirling FK9 4UP
31. Almond Valley, West Lothian
There's so much to see and do at Almond Valley in West Lothian. The farm is home to all sorts native rare breed farm animals, ranging in size from the giant Clydesdale Horse to tiny, newly hatched chicks. Look out for the Wings and Whiskers area, where you can find the farm’s smaller residents: patient, sociable rabbits, guinea pigs, budgies, ferrets and mice. There's also indoor and outdoor play areas with plenty of opportunities to bounce, climb, slide and explore. And you can take a ride on the mini railway, or a vintage tractor to top off a perfect day out.
Where: Almond Valley, Millfield, Livingston EH54 7AR
32. Streamvale Farm, Belfast
A family-run dairy farm, Streamvale Farm in Belfast is the perfect place for a fun and educational day out. There's lots to keep little ones busy, from tractor rides to nature trails. You can also watch the cows being milked and see how it's made into their delicious ice-cream (which you can sample in the Creamery Cafe).
Where: Streamvale Farm, 38 Ballyhanwood Road, Belfast BT5 7SN
33. Ark Open Farm, Newtownards
The only adventure farm in Northern Ireland to open all year round, the Ark Open Farm is a real treat for everyone who loves animals and adventure. You can meet all kinds of animals, including goats and reptiles, as well as some dinosaurs(!) and enjoy cuddling smaller creatures too. In addition, you'll find jumping pillows, indoor and outdoor play areas, and you might even get to take a tractor trailer ride around the farm.
Where: Ark Open Farm, 296 Bangor Road, Newtownards BT23 7PH
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